Charlie McKelvey’s biblical post today on Precision Marketing explores the Cain-and-Abel-like relationship (in his terms) between Technology and Marketing. His assessment of the mismatch between expectations and world views of these two disciplines is pretty stark and his solution is to make them sit together and play nice. I’ve seen places where that happens, but they are essentially going to be disruptive siblings at all times.

But sibling rivalry doesn’t always have to end with blood on the floor.

Marketing (like any good magic) has always been an arcane mix of art and science… the trouble is much of the science has been manual – manipulation rather than automation. Marketers need technology in C21 more than ever before to take the drudge out of their lives and allow them to focus on what they should do best: insight, inspiration and the creation of desire.

AdViking is curious: has Charlie noticed there’s been quite a little industry spring up to do just that, most of it based around the SaaS idea which allows Markerters to pretend they are buying services, not technology. Microsoft and Google seem to be quite keen on this business model, as well as a host of other companies in the Web Analytics, Email Marketing, Customer Reviews, AdServing/monitoring spaces.

In most organisations, getting IT to sit with Marketing is not going to deliver that solution. There are lots of things internal IT departments are really good for: responding to the fast moving, ever changing moods (or needs) of Marketers is probably never going to be the best thing they do – or the thing they most want to do. So don’t try to force them!